(Parliament,
Monday) The reply by the Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to me during Parliamentary question-time
that the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)
proposal is still with the Attorney-General, who is looking into its
structure and concept, implications and whether practical or not practical,
is a great disappointment for at least five reasons.

Firstly, the
one-year timeline for the establishment of the IPCMC as proposed by the
Royal Police Commission, i.e. May 2006, has passed.

Secondly, it
is a classic “passing of the buck” on a policy question by the Prime
Minister and Cabinet to an executive wing of government, which has no
business to dabble with policy issues but to implement policy decisions as
far as legislation and institutional changes are concerned.

Thirdly, it
represents a “backing down” by Abdullah of his earlier public commitment
that an IPCMC to create an accountable, efficient, professional world-class
police service would be established and being held to ransom by the
insurbordination of top police officers, UMNO MPs and UMNO Ministers.

Fourthly, it
marks the lack of political will of Abdullah to deliver his reform pledge
which won him the landslide 2004 general election victory winning some 92
per cent of parliamentary seats.

Fifthly, it
strengthens the allegation of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir
Mohamad of a “half-past-six” administration.

When early
this year, he announced that the IPCMC would be established after the
submission of the report of the Royal Police Squadgate Commission, Abdullah
said the IPCMC “would be established as soon as the Attorney-General’s
Chambers fine-tuned the concept”. (New Straits Times 24.1.06)

The NST report added that “A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail got his orders this
morning to have the proposal ready soon for implementation.”

From “fine tuning” to finalise legislative proposals for presentation to
Parliament for the establishment of IPCMC, there is now a sea-change in the
powers and jurisdiction of the Attorney-General’s Chambers as to usurp the
powers of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament to make the policy
decision on whether the IPCMC should be established.

I call on
Abdullah to demonstrate that he has the political will to keep faith with
his reform pledge by setting up the IPCMC and not to knuckle down to
insubordination from certain elements in the police force, UMNO MPs and UMNO
Ministers, and prove Tun Dr. Mahathir wrong that he has a “half-past-six”
administration.